At a news conference, Hermes chief executive Axel Dumas hailed the group's "very good profitability" and insisted it was attributable to "organic growth."

But Dumas cautioned in a telephone news conference that Hermes was staying "prudent in a very volatile environment" and that the first-half performance could not be extrapolated for the whole year.

"In the medium-term, despite growing economic, geopolitical and monetary uncertainties around the world, the group confirms an ambitious goal for revenue growth at constant exchange rates," the group statement said.